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18 years of lighting the fuse

Dez Loreen
Northern News Services
Published Thursday, January 8, 2009

INUVIK - For the 18th year, Rick Lindsay is busy in the town shed preparing his light show for the community.

Lindsay, who has been at the helm of the annual Sunrise festival for the past few years, said this year is shaping up to be something new.

NNSL Photo/Graphic

Sunrise Festival co-organizer Rick Lindsay is getting ready for this Saturday night's fireworks display. This is the 18th show of which Lindsay has been a part. - Dez Loreen/NNSL photo

"We've got some new fireworks here that we've never used before," he said.

The show starts at 7 p.m. Lindsay said the bonfires will be lit at 6 p.m. at the golf course.

Lindsay said parking on the roads isn't the most ideal viewing point for the show.

"We have the arrays of fireworks aimed to face the crowd in front of the bonfire," he said.

"If you're on the Finto hill, you'll see straight lines, where there should be a fan, or other pattern."

He recommends getting to the site early and taking a place out near the fire.

Lindsay said the show this year will be smaller than 2008, only because that show was built up for the 50th anniversary.

"We're back to our original budget of $10,000 for the fireworks," said Lindsay. "Last year we spent $25,000 for the anniversary."

Lindsay said the shipment of fireworks arrived in town last month. His small crew will include two new people who want to be certified to light the show.

"Right now, we have three people, including myself who are certified to light the show," said Lindsay.

Lighters must pass a test and safely manage three separate shows.

"This will be the first year for them," said Lindsay.

The crew started their work on Wednesday night, laying out the display and placing them in the proper racks and tubes.

The longtime fireworks co-ordinator can arrange a show quickly.

"I can rig up a show this size in one night," he said.

This year's show will include different colours and arrays, including some fireworks that can be set off closer to the audience.

"We have some that can be lit 100 metres away from the crowd and the bigger ones that need to be 200 metres away," said Lindsay.

Refreshments will be served at the golf course's pro shop. Lindsay hopes for good weather.

"The warmest we've had for the show was -5 C and the coldest was -45 C," he said.